RickMcCharles.com

Cost in CDN dollars for 3,300 domestic miles:

Europe = $535
USA =$935
Canada = $1500

Consumers pay more for air travel in Canada than in the U.S. or Europe, says a new study that calls on Ottawa to open the market to more competition.

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy, a western Canadian think-tank, found Europe’s liberalized air policies resulted in the cheapest fares for travellers because they allow for more competition. …

Calgary Herald

Frank Herbert

Here’s the original series of 6 novels by Frank Herbert, each IMHO weaker and more confusing than the last:

Dune (1965)
Dune Messiah (1969)
Children of Dune (1976)
God Emperor of Dune (1981)
Heretics of Dune (1984)
Chapterhouse Dune (1985)

Much later Frank’s son Brian Herbert and science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson expanded the series, adding many new books. They try to make sense of Frank’s vision.

I’ve now read 6 of the dozen or more Dune books in chronological order:

• Dune: House Atreides (Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson)

• Dune Messiah (Frank Herbert)

Frank was a genius in conceiving Dune, I concede.

But the son’s books are far better, more accessible, than his Dad’s.

In Dune Messiah, for example, almost nothing happens … aside from a poorly unexplained nuclear explosion that seems to do no damage except render those nearest to it blind. Was Frank a mad genius? … There was something wrong with his brain, I’m thinking.

I’m not burned out yet. Next up is Winds of Dune.

Last I’ll read the 3 earliest books, the prequels, which look to be excellent.

Dean Kalyan linked to this great pop video saying:

I dig this. In an age where music videos continue to devolve into nonsense and porn-inspired gimmicks, it’s nice to see people with talent are still able to shine.

Love the “moon walking” dance steps.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnefUaKCbc

Janelle Monáe (born December 1, 1985 in Kansas City as Janelle Monáe Robinson) is a Grammy nominated American singer, songwriter, dancer, and performer. …

Janelle Monáe – official website

I’m not actually the biggest celebrity here at Peakes Wharf.

We’ve got Cirque du Soleil, Randy Bachman and Fred Turner, Regis and Kelly, Great Big Sea …

My hosts Jim and Lea Rand put on a tub of mussels for us. All you can eat.

Did you see the disallowed England goal against Germany?

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQMwFHFGGnQ

Soccer is dead to me. … After New Zealand wins this World Cup.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Embrace Life Public Service Announcement.

Thanks George.

Even the left wing Huffington Post loves this Republican commercial.

… Dale Peterson may have finished third in the GOP primary for Alabama Agriculture Commissioner, but he’s not done being a YouTube star. With the race heading to a runoff between Dorman Grace and John McMillan, Peterson has returned to endorse McMillan in a new ad. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Daring Fireball)

Smart and Smarter.

… not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Their trip was “research” for a Globe and Mail article – The Northern Lights (and other delights)

I’ve updated my travel highlights photos. Nearly 300 photos of Rick goodness.

I’ll try to snap more in the Maritimes. Departing today for PEI and NFLD.

Eventually, certainly.

But will we go extinct in the next 100yrs?

Professor Frank Fenner thinks we will:

… in an interview with The Australian, the well-respected microbiologist expressed his pessimism for our future. “We’re going to become extinct,” he said. “Whatever we do now is too late.” …

I’m inclined to disagree. Even after reading The Road, a horror story of post-apocalyptic nuclear winter.

In the same article (forwarded me by Dave Adlard) …

In a paper published in the journal Futures last year, researchers approached the question: “Human Extinction: How Could It Happen?”

… “The human race is unlikely to become extinct without a combination of difficult, severe and catastrophic events,” Tobin Lopes, of the University of Colorado at Denver, said in an interview with Discovery News. He added that his team “were very surprised about how difficult it was to come up with plausible scenarios in which the entire human race would become extinct.” …

details on MSNBC – Will humans go extinct within 100 years?

The world might look like this “soon”. …

But some humans will survive.